Manila lodges fresh protest against China

The Philippines has filed a new diplomatic protest against China over its land reclamation on McKennan Reef in the Spratly group of islands, which is indisputably within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson, said the foreign office lodged the protest sometime last week.

But he could not say how China responded to the latest note verbale. The Chinese Embassy in Manila had immediately rejected all previous Philippine protests in relation to the South China Sea dispute.

“We filed the protest last week. The reclamation there was confirmed first,” said Jose.

He said the Philippines continues monitoring to confirm what appeared to be similar Chinese activities on Gavin Reef and Calderon Reef, also in the Spratlys, which President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario bared on Thursday last week, expressing concern over Beijing’s “aggressive expansion agenda” in the disputed waters.

China is also known to be undertaking similar activities on Malvar Reef.

Jose said the Philippines would “definitely lodge a similar protest” against China once it is confirmed that it was reclaiming land in these territories. Jose could not say whether last week’s diplomatic protest was filed before or after the top officials made public the surveillance information on Chinese activities on the two other reefs (Gavin and Calderon).

In April, the DFA also protested China’s construction of an artificial island on Mabini Reef as it expressed concern that the expanded territory could be used for military purposes, particularly an airstrip.

These territories are indisputably within the Philippines’ 370-km EEZ in the South China Sea, an area locally called the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines is seeking an end to such Chinese incursions through its arbitration case filed against China before the United Nations, a legal action that aims to nullify China’s “excessive” nine-dash-line claim.

This historical delineation is Beijing’s basis in claiming “indisputable sovereignty” over some 90 per cent of the South China Sea, extending well beyond its own EEZ and encroaching on that of other claimants, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Jose said China’s continuing land reclamation on Philippine-claimed reefs was proof of its intent to project its territory in the South China Sea despite being a signatory to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). This 2002 nonaggression pact seeks to prevent conflict in the contested waters pending resolution of the disputes.